The Feast of Flower
At the time where earth is ornamented by flowers, there is a feast we celebrate specifically on Mesekerem 10, known to be “Teketsel Tsige (The Feast of Flowers).” Teketsel meaning “crown”, and Tsige to mean “flower,” is a feast that Holy Church celebrate in this ending of winter season. There are reasons for this also. One of them is related with the previous King’s stories.
Whilst earth is surrounded by flowers, green leaves, plants and other vegetables, King Emperor Gebre Meskel presented himself amongst the people, wearing a crown, colored green, yellow and red flowers on Meskerem 10, announcing the ending of the winter.
Ethiopians celebrate this feast during Emperor Mesekel. By then, it was celebrated on Mesekerem 25. Onwards, on the tenth century, the cross of Lord Jesus Christ came to Ethiopia by the Emperor on Mesekerem 10. And thus, the feast changed in to the commemoration named as “Teketsel Tsige and Aste Mesekel” on the tenth day of Meskerem.
The great feast of “Teketsel Tsige” has been celebrated until the end of Emperor Haile Selassies’s Empire. But at the reign of Dereg, the feast seized to be celebrated till the year 1983 E.C. After the fall of the Dereg Regime, it might not have been commemorated in the palace, but was celebrated in the Menbere Tsebaot Holy Trinity Cathedral, in front of the Patriarch up to present day.
May God’s benevolence be with us, Amen!